yall Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 So I'm doing my usual 7:00 AM news site surfing today, and I'm seeing a ton of "Defiant Dixie Chicks" type of headlines. On top of that these stories seem to have the common theme that the Dixie Chicks were somehow censored and their constitutional right to freedom of speech was violated. Could someone please let the press know that an artist who says something that pi$$es off 50% of their core fan base, and then those fans choosing to ignore that artist's product, is neither censorship nor is it a violation of 1st amendment rights? My fiancee, who likes the Dixie Chicks, didn't seem to think they deserved 5 grammys, although she said it was their best album yet. I'm not much of a fan (I think the lead singer has a pig face and she rubs me the wrong way. I would like the other two to just rub me... ) and I have to wonder how much the controversy they have created impacted their nominations/awards. Not that I think the grammys are a measurement of anything that resembles artistic merit. (*Cough* *Sham!* *Cough*..)
RkFast Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 Did you get the memo? When someone from the left has something to say, they are just "dissenting" and "excersing their patriotic 1st Amendment Rights." They are practicing the rights held near and dear to all of us! But, of course, any "dissent" to their "dissent" is nothing more than blatant "censorship", carried out by fascists.
smokinandjokin Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 Did you get the memo? When someone from the left has something to say, they are just "dissenting" and "excersing their patriotic 1st Amendment Rights." They are practicing the rights held near and dear to all of us! But, of course, any "dissent" to their "dissent" is nothing more than blatant "censorship", carried out by fascists. RkFast: Copying and pasting his way to 4,000 posts in the PPP Forum... Don't you ever get tired of reading your one weak thought over and over again?
Johnny Coli Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 (edited) Did you get the memo? When someone from the left has something to say, they are just "dissenting" and "excersing their patriotic 1st Amendment Rights." They are practicing the rights held near and dear to all of us! But, of course, any "dissent" to their "dissent" is nothing more than blatant "censorship", carried out by fascists. The Dixie Chicks freedom of speech issue is/was one driven solely by the right wing media. As far as I know (I don't like, or listen to the musical genre) none of their music had a liberal, or even a political, bent. In fact, the only political statement that was made prior to this becaming(edit:sp) becoming a big deal was that one of them said something about Bush from the stage at a show in England (a country that was/is overwhelmingly anti-dubya). This was picked up by the right wing noise monkeys and pushed to "newsworthy" headline status. The Dixie Chicks just happen to play music in a genre that is usually pro-right, hyper-nationalist, thus the backlash (manufactured and beaten into the ground by the right wing media) from radio stations that cater to that style. Any other genre of music and this doesn't even register as news, as you could go out to any club in the US on any given night and hear much worse being said about Bush. Edited February 12, 2007 by Johnny Coli
X. Benedict Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 I'm not a Dixie Chick fan, nor could I name one of their songs, but when Clear Channel Communications bans your records it is significant - don' t they control over 80% of the commercial radio market in the country? It was clearly censorship. It was not, however, a 1st Amendment issue.
RkFast Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 RkFast: Copying and pasting his way to 4,000 posts in the PPP Forum... Don't you ever get tired of reading your one weak thought over and over again? Says the guy whose last contribution to a thread on PPP was posting quotes from the movie "Major League."
X. Benedict Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 Says the guy whose last contribution to a thread on PPP was posting quotes from the movie "Major League." Runs like Hayes, hits like Mays?
RkFast Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 The Dixie Chicks freedom of speech issue is/was one driven solely by the right wing media. As far as I know (I don't like, or listen to the musical genre) none of their music had a liberal, or even a political, bent. In fact, the only political statement that was made prior to this becaming(edit:sp) becoming a big deal was that one of them said something about Bush from the stage at a show in England (a country that was/is overwhelmingly anti-dubya). This was picked up by the right wing noise monkeys and pushed to "newsworthy" headline status. The Dixie Chicks just happen to play music in a genre that is usually pro-right, hyper-nationalist, thus the backlash (manufactured and beaten into the ground by the right wing media) from radio stations that cater to that style. Any other genre of music and this doesn't even register as news, as you could go out to any club in the US on any given night and hear much worse being said about Bush. I dont think their actual music has anything to do with it, really. Sure...the fact that they were considered Country musicians probably affected the issue, but others have endured similar criticism for going overseas and bashing the U.S. It was always about what Maines said on that stage in the UK, which I thought was pretty terrible. And FWIW, I dont think criticism for bashing the home Country in a time of war is unwarranted.
RkFast Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 Runs like Hayes, hits like Mays? And who post total is only 300 behind mine! Love the movie, though. At least the sod has some taste, right?
X. Benedict Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 I dont think their actual music has anything to do with it, really. Sure...the fact that they were considered Country musicians probably affected the issue, but others have endured similar criticism for going overseas and bashing the U.S. It was always about what Maines said on that stage in the UK, which I thought was pretty terrible. And FWIW, I dont think criticism for bashing the home Country in a time of war is unwarranted. Was this the quote she was pilloried for something like, "I am embarrassed George Bush is from Texas." ? And wasn't it before the Iraq war?
RkFast Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 I'm not a Dixie Chick fan, nor could I name one of their songs, but when Clear Channel Communications bans your records it is significant - don' t they control over 80% of the commercial radio market in the country? It was clearly censorship. It was not, however, a 1st Amendment issue. True...and no different than when Wal-Mart wont carry it becuase it doesnt agree with their values. Id rather see a Country where companies can decide what to sell and what not to sell, based on their own values. When the day comes that companies are FORCED into what to sell, then we have a problem.
RkFast Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 Was this the quote she was pilloried for something like, "I am embarrassed George Bush is from Texas." ? And wasn't it before the Iraq war? It was during the time of the war. And I beleive that was the quote, yes. I..me...myself thought what she did was bad. YOUR mileage may vary.
smokinandjokin Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 Says the guy whose last contribution to a thread on PPP was posting quotes from the movie "Major League." I'm surprised you caught the reference, seeing as it was in a film from the Leftist bastion that is Hollywood. Those jokes about Harris and his relationship with Jesus only furthered the movie studio's clear liberal agenda, right Rk? You are entitled to your views, I respect them as much my own or anyone else's. I don't pretend to have all of the answers and am always fairly open-minded. I don't post in PPP that often because, frankly, a lot of the 'issues' that are brought up, I don't consider to be issues at all (like the Dixie Chicks or macaca or crap like that.) I like when people link to articles that I wouldn't find elsewhere on my own, and that's usually how I spend my time here. Immediately dividing every single issue into left vs. right in post #3 of the thread (like you seem to do) forces a division into sides, promotes arguing and name calling, and limits open-mindedness and true discussion. Every thread turns into a blame game where your side is wrong and my side is correct, and it's my observation that you have a lot to do with steering the threads that way.
Bungee Jumper Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 I'm surprised you caught the reference, seeing as it was in a film from the Leftist bastion that is Hollywood. Those jokes about Harris and his relationship with Jesus only furthered the movie studio's clear liberal agenda, right Rk? You are entitled to your views, I respect them as much my own or anyone else's. I don't pretend to have all of the answers and am always fairly open-minded. I don't post in PPP that often because, frankly, a lot of the 'issues' that are brought up, I don't consider to be issues at all (like the Dixie Chicks or macaca or crap like that.) I like when people link to articles that I wouldn't find elsewhere on my own, and that's usually how I spend my time here. Immediately dividing every single issue into left vs. right in post #3 of the thread (like you seem to do) forces a division into sides, promotes arguing and name calling, and limits open-mindedness and true discussion. Every thread turns into a blame game where your side is wrong and my side is correct, and it's my observation that you have a lot to do with steering the threads that way. Post #2, actually. Post #3 is your fault. And there's something seriously wrong with any country in which the no-talent Dixie Chicks are political standard-bearers, and the first anniversary of the Iraqi Civil War is ignored.
Johnny Coli Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 I dont think their actual music has anything to do with it, really. Sure...the fact that they were considered Country musicians probably affected the issue, but others have endured similar criticism for going overseas and bashing the U.S. It was always about what Maines said on that stage in the UK, which I thought was pretty terrible. And FWIW, I dont think criticism for bashing the home Country in a time of war is unwarranted. Absolutely the musical genre had something to do with it. Country music is largely pro "god, guns and county". Any other musical style and most people wouldn't bat an eye. You could count the number of pro-Bush punk rock bands on the fingers of a double amputee.
yall Posted February 12, 2007 Author Posted February 12, 2007 I'm not a Dixie Chick fan, nor could I name one of their songs, but when Clear Channel Communications bans your records it is significant - don' t they control over 80% of the commercial radio market in the country? It was clearly censorship. It was not, however, a 1st Amendment issue. I don't know that I would call it censorship. A media outlet can pick and choose what they want to play. CC probably felt that enough of their Nashville Pop audience would bristle at any Dixie Chick song, and felt it would better serve their customers/listeners by not playing the material. Their record sales and concert attendance figures probably suffered more from their ticked off core fanbase than it did CC deciding to not play their material. I don't really care, but it irks me to see the press calling artists "brave" for speaking their minds, as if there is a real danger of jack-booted goverment agents coming into their homes and pistol whipping them with broom handled mausers.
Bungee Jumper Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 Absolutely the musical genre had something to do with it. Country music is largely pro "god, guns and county". Any other musical style and most people wouldn't bat an eye. You could count the number of pro-Bush punk rock bands on the fingers of a double amputee. That the Dixie Chicks are country is arguable, at best. Have you heard their music lately? Okay, stupid question...
yall Posted February 12, 2007 Author Posted February 12, 2007 That the Dixie Chicks are country is arguable, at best. Have you heard their music lately? Okay, stupid question... As I refered to it earlier... it's better described as "Nashville Pop". Country music changed for the worse when they dropped the "& Western".
olivier in france Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 Absolutely the musical genre had something to do with it. Country music is largely pro "god, guns and county". Any other musical style and most people wouldn't bat an eye. You could count the number of pro-Bush punk rock bands on the fingers of a double amputee. exactly! All the Dixie Chicks have to do is to say that they're not a country band anymore but a folk band (after all isn't folk music just country music with leftist lyrics?!!) and suddenly everything we'll be back to normal.
X. Benedict Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 True...and no different than when Wal-Mart wont carry it becuase it doesnt agree with their values. Id rather see a Country where companies can decide what to sell and what not to sell, based on their own values. When the day comes that companies are FORCED into what to sell, then we have a problem. Wasn't it said that their music was apolitical - so they were banned based on something they said, not on the content of their product. I don't think Market Censorship is such the benign force as you construe it to be.
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